Effects of tele-education given based on the health belief model on mode of delivery tendencies in pregnant women

Abstract

Background Cesarean sections, which have a high risk of maternal and neonatal complications and increase health expenditures, have become a global problem. Hence, it is extremely important to encourage women to have normal deliveries. Objective This study was conducted to determine the effects of tele-education given to nulliparous pregnant women based on the health belief model (HBM) on their normal delivery beliefs and tendencies. Methods This randomized-controlled study was conducted with 149 nulliparous pregnant women. Participants in the experimental group received a tele-education programme in 8 sessions prepared in line with the health belief model regarding normal delivery for 15 days. The data was collected by using the Pregnancy Information Form and Belief Scale for Normal Delivery (BSND). Results After the tele-education programme, the post-test BSND mean score was 89.90 +/- 14.10 in the experimental group and 78.80 +/- 12.65 in the control group, where the difference between them was significant (p < 0.01). Additionally, the post-test mean scores of participants in the experimental group in all BSND's subdimensions were significantly higher than those of the women in the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion The tele-education given in line with the HBM increased the belief and tendency levels of the nulliparous pregnant women towards normal delivery.